


skinny love.

by cherrysalad (orphan_account)



Series: new york. [3]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Pining, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-09
Updated: 2017-12-09
Packaged: 2019-02-12 13:10:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12959910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/cherrysalad
Summary: "You're in love with her, aren't you?" Veronica just sobs harder which is, of course, an answer all on its own.ORveronica can't keep ignoring her feelings.





	skinny love.

Veronica isn't even entirely through the door before Betty says,

"Jughead's in town," Veronica nearly drops her groceries. 

"How do you know?" She asks. 

"He texted me," Betty said guiltily. 

"Betty!" Veronica scolds "I told you to block his number." 

"I know," Betty sighs "He says he wants to see me."

"What so he can make some lame excuses about why he cheated on you?" Veronica asks. 

"I feel like it might give me some closure," Betty says, Veronica eyes her friend skeptically "Besides, he was just trying to figure things out, Ronnie," 

"For five months? I think he had things pretty damn figured out. You need to stop belittling what he did to you. He doesn't deserve if, Betty," Veronica says. 

"I still want to meet him," Betty says quietly. Veronica bites her lip for a moment. 

"It's your decision, of course," She says "But I want to come with you." 

"That would be really nice, actually," Betty smiles gratefully at her friend.

"Are he and Archie...?" She trails off, not sure how to ask the sensitive question. 

"They're still together," Betty confirms. 

***

Veronica watches as her friend twists the white tablecloth in her hands, nervously glancing at the door every few minutes. She grabs Betty's hand and squeezes it in an attempt to comfort her. 

Betty smiles weakly. 

It seems like hours before Jughead arrives, and when he does Archie is with him. Veronica nearly spits out her ice water when she sees them walk through the door, hands clasped. Betty's eyes go wide for a moment before she makes her expression clear again, Veronica rest a hand on her neck. 

"Hey," Archie says, as if they're sixteen and meeting in a booth at Pop's. Veronica wants to lash out at him, but she remains silent for Betty's sake. 

"Hey Archie, Jughead," Betty says solemnly. Both of the boys take their seats and there's an icy silence that hangs in the air until Jughead speaks. 

"How's New York?" He asks.

"It's good," Betty answers, her voice is like a rubber band stretched to it's breaking point "I got a job at a Sephora in a mall, I'm going to apply to go to college next year. I'm saving up." She's oversharing just a little bit. 

"That's great," Jughead says, and Archie nods over enthusiastically. 

"How's Riverdale?" Betty asks. 

"Oh... just the same as ever. I'm trying to start a Newspaper on the Southside," Jughead says. 

"And you two, you're happy together?" Veronica asks, finally unable to remain silent. She looks Jughead straight in the eyes, challenging him. It takes him a minute to respond.

"Yeah, yeah. We are," He says "Listen, Betty, I am so, so sorry about what I did. Okay? It was inexcusable, and I know I probably ruined any friendship that we could have, but I just wanted to say that I hope you find happiness with someone else," Veronica can't stand the pitying way he's looking at Betty, he's the pathetic one if anything, so she does something impulsive. 

"Well, she already has," Veronica says, and grabs Betty's hand, shooting her a look that says to just go with it. 

"Oh," Jughead says, his eyebrows shooting up "So you two...?" 

"Yep," Betty says, smiling fondly at Veronica "We've been together for a couple of months now, but it was a long time coming really," Veronica nods. 

"Well that's great! I'm happy for you guys!" 

It doesn't really make the rest of the lunch less awkward as Veronica had hoped. 

***

After they've watched the boy's taxi cab disappear into traffic Betty breaks down, leaning against the brick building and sobbing into her hands, her shoulders shaking. Veronica is startled, Betty had seemed so stable only a few minutes ago. 

"Hey," Veronica says softly, pulling Betty into a tight hug "You were so brave to have done that," She says into Betty's shoulder. 

"I thought I'd feel better, but I don't," Betty says "I know I'm overreacting... but I can't. What if he's my soulmate, but I'm not his?" 

"First of all, you're not overreacting, he fucked you over and you're entitled to feel whatever you feel, and second of all, I can say with definite and absolute certainty that Jughead isn't your soulmate. There's someone out there who's going to be so much better for you," Veronica's stomach feels vaguely sick as she says it, but she ignores it because this isn't about her and her dumb feelings "You know what might help?" 

"Don't say going out with that guy from your acting class," Betty sniffles. 

"I was going to say that we should go out and get really drunk," Betty is silent a moment. 

"Okay... I mean you don't have class and I don't have work tomorrow so why not," Betty shrugs. 

"Wait... really?" Veronica asks, surprised. Betty nods "Okay then" 

They find a bar and Betty is a bit nervous walking past the bouncer, but he barely glances at their fake ID's before letting them in. 

"Two shots of tequila, please" Veronica orders, Betty winces as she drinks and Veronica watches her amused. 

Being relatively new to drinking, Betty has a much lower alcohol tolerance than Veronica and after a while Betty is absolutely smashed whereas Veronica is only slightly tipsy. 

The bar has become increasingly crowded over the last few hours, and the music louder. 

"I'm going to use the bathroom," Veronica shouts at Betty, who nods vaguely. 

When she comes back, Betty is talking to a tall dark haired boy, Veronica does a double take when she realizes it's Reggie Mantle. 

She watches them for a minute, touching each other's arms flirtatiously. Veronica feels something hot and uncomfortable under her skin. 

"We should go home," Veronica says. 

"Hey! Veronica!" Reggie greets her, he's drunk. She ignores him. 

"I'm going home with Reggie," Betty says. Veronica think she might vomit. She wants to argue, but Betty can make her own decisions so Veronica nods and pushes her way out of the crowded bar. 

She takes a cab home and manages to hold in her tears until she's lying on her mattress in her room, and then she sobs and sobs, letting herself fully feel this thing she's been harboring for Betty for the first time. 

"Ronnie?" Toni's voice is concerned, she's standing over her "What's going on?"

"Betty-" is all that she can get out. She feels Toni sit on the mattress beside her. 

"You're in love with her, aren't you?" Veronica just sobs harder which is, of course, an answer all on its own.

*** 

Veronica hears the door open only a few minutes after she's stopped crying and goes out to see who it is. She sees Betty, hair out of it usual pony tail, mascara smudged, heels dangling from her fingers.

"Did you sleep with him?" She's been the one urging Betty to go on dates and get over Jughead, but she never considered what it might feel like to actually see it happening right in front of her.

"No. I backed out at the last minute," She mumbles "He was mad," 

"Reggie Mantle is a dick," Veronica says. Betty nods in agreement, suddenly she falls into the other girl, wrapping her in a hug. 

"You're the best, V," She says, burying her face in Veronica's shoulder. Veronica presses a cautious kiss into Betty's blonde curls. 

"C'mon, let's get to bed," She whispers.


End file.
